Clinicians to speak on safety issues related to patient warming at AORN Congress

WHAT: Clinicians V. Doreen Wagner and Carl Brow will present information every clinician should know about avoiding hypothermia and properly using forced-air warming equipment.

WHEN: Ms. Wagner and Mr. Brow will present Hypothermia: Impact and Issues on Tuesday,
April 23 at 8 am.

Ms. Wagner will also present Safety in the OR: Warming Devices at the Augustine Medical booth (#2358) throughout the Congress, April 23-25, 2002.

WHERE: Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Congress
Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif.

WHO: V. Doreen Wagner, RN, MSN, CNOR is a risk management claims specialist with WellStar Health System, Marietta, Ga. Ms. Wagner has personal experience with "hosing" cases.

SUMMARY: Ms. Wagner and Mr. Brow will discuss dangers associated with hypothermia in surgical patients and a practice called "hosing," which occurs across the industry. Hosing occurs when forced-air warming devices are used improperly. Traumatic thermal injury - sometimes third-degree burns can result - and some lawsuits have already been filed against hospitals and clinicians.

This presentation is a part of Augustine Medical's campaign to raise clinician awareness of the danger of hosing. The company has also placed advertisements in industry periodicals, sponsored case studies, labeled forced-air warming devices, set up a Web site at www.stophosing.com and worked through other targeted efforts to highlight the importance of this issue.

Arizant Healthcare Inc. (successor to Augustine Medical, Inc.), 10393 West 70th Street, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. Tel: 952-947-1214; Fax: 952-947-1400.